--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is by definition the first and…" description: "\"Man is by definition the first and primary weed. Weeds are not the other. Weeds are us.\" — Michael Pollan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/michael-pollan-408_definitions_man-is-by-definition-the-first-and-prima_2831931.png" --- # Man is by definition the first and primary weed. Weeds are… ![“Man is by definition the first and primary weed. Weeds are not the other. Weeds are us.” quote by Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/michael-pollan-408_definitions_man-is-by-definition-the-first-and-prima_2831931.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/michael-pollan-408_definitions_man-is-by-definition-the-first-and-prima_2831931.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/michael-pollan-408_definitions_man-is-by-definition-the-first-and-prima_2831931.png) > “Man is by definition the first and primary weed. Weeds are not the other. Weeds are us.” [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans are the original invasive species, spreading and altering ecosystems like weeds. **In simple terms:** Humans act like weeds, spreading everywhere. Key Takeaway Recognize our impact and act responsibly. Themes environment human nature invasion ecology Mood reflective concerned Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - urban planning - conservation policy - personal consumption - education curricula Key Concepts anthropocentrism ecosystem change biocultural interaction Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance growth with ecological stewardship? - What responsibilities arise from seeing ourselves as weeds? A Different Perspective Human agency can also restore ecosystems, not just degrade them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Weeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weeds/) ## Related quotes > [“Life, it is not simple like a garden, where flowers are always flowers and weeds are always weeds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-kagen/life-it-is-not-simple-like-a-garden-where-flowers-are-always-flowers/) [Lesley Kagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-kagen/) > [Man is by definition the first and primary weed under whose influence all other weeds have evolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-harlan/man-is-by-definition-the-first-and-primary-weed-under-whose-influence/) Jack Harlan > [For though we may be the Earth's gardeners, we are also its weeds. And we won't get anywhere until we come to terms with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/for-though-we-may-be-the-earth-s-gardeners-we-are-also-its-weeds-and/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Everybody's got plants, but most are just growing weeds. The cultivated have greater gardens, finer and gaudier gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schjeldahl/everybody-s-got-plants-but-most-are-just-growing-weeds-the-cultivated/) [Peter Schjeldahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schjeldahl/) > [Weeds grasp their own essence and express its truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santoka-taneda/weeds-grasp-their-own-essence-and-express-its-truth/) [Santoka Taneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santoka-taneda/) > [There are no weeds, and no worthless men. There are only bad farmers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-are-no-weeds-and-no-worthless-men-there-are-only-bad-farmers/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I do not know the names of all the weeds and plants, I have to do as Adam did in his garden... name things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/i-do-not-know-the-names-of-all-the-weeds-and-plants-i-have-to-do-as/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [We all have a path to take; sometimes it's hidden under the weeds, so you might have to work a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dolan/we-all-have-a-path-to-take-sometimes-it-s-hidden-under-the-weeds-so/) [Michael Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dolan/) > [We bring forth weeds when our quick minds lie still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-bring-forth-weeds-when-our-quick-minds-lie-still/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Go oft to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/go-oft-to-the-house-of-thy-friend-for-weeds-choke-the-unused-path/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [We don't have to feel negative about weeds. They're a part of life. We need to see them, acknowledge them, focus on the solution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/we-don-t-have-to-feel-negative-about-weeds-they-re-a-part-of-life-we/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [After Nicholas hung up the phone, he watched his mother carry buckets and garden tools across the couch grass toward a bed that would,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/after-nicholas-hung-up-the-phone-he-watched-his-mother-carry-buckets/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [Weeds are omnipresent; errors are to be found in the heart of the most lovable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/weeds-are-omnipresent-errors-are-to-be-found-in-the-heart-of-the-most/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [Regulations grow at the same rate as weeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-ralph-augustine/regulations-grow-at-the-same-rate-as-weeds/) [Norman Ralph Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-ralph-augustine/) > [Don't plant your days they turn into weeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/don-t-plant-your-days-they-turn-into-weeds/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) ## More by Michael Pollan > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [The problem is that we let special-occasion food become everyday food. That goes for soda and french fries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-problem-is-that-we-let-special-occasion-food-become-everyday-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Every peasant cuisine has incredible ingenious tricks for getting a lot of nutrition out of a small amount of ingredients. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/every-peasant-cuisine-has-incredible-ingenious-tricks-for-getting-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“In ancient Greece, the word for “cook,” “butcher,” and “priest” was the same—mageiros—and the word shares an etymological root with “magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-ancient-greece-the-word-for-cook-butcher-and-priest-was-the-same/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [In the end I'm still a writer. I'm still a journalist, and my first responsibility is to my readers. That's where I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-end-i-m-still-a-writer-i-m-still-a-journalist-and-my-first/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“The bubble logic driving tulipomania has since acquired a name: “the greater fool theory.” Although by any conventional measure it is folly to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-bubble-logic-driving-tulipomania-has-since-acquired-a-name-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Of the seven deadly sins, surely it is pride that most afflicts the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-surely-it-is-pride-that-most-afflicts-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/growing-corn-which-from-a-biological-perspective-had-always-been-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Eat with consciousness. When you eat with consciousness, and you know what you're eating, and you eat it in full appreciation of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-with-consciousness-when-you-eat-with-consciousness-and-you-know/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [This is part of human nature, the desire to change consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/this-is-part-of-human-nature-the-desire-to-change-consciousness/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“...whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it's actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/whenever-i-hear-people-say-clean-food-is-expensive-i-tell-them-it-s/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/imagine-if-we-had-a-food-system-that-actually-produced-wholesome-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“CONSULT YOUR GUT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/consult-your-gut/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) [Explore all 584 Michael Pollan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## More Definitions quotes > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The poet reminds men of their uniqueness and it is not necessary to possess the ultimate definition of this uniqueness. 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Anything that a \[person\] postulates as being a greater totality than \[oneself\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-self-is-defined-psychologically-as-the-psychic-totality-of-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Before I had kids, I thought you should never lie to a kid. But now I've had them, I realize you almost lie to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/before-i-had-kids-i-thought-you-should-never-lie-to-a-kid-but-now-i/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [my definition of the ideal man is 'that particular man with whom a woman happens to be in love at that particular time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/my-definition-of-the-ideal-man-is-that-particular-man-with-whom-a/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [My briefest ever definition of science fiction is 'Hubris clobbered by Nemesis.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/my-briefest-ever-definition-of-science-fiction-is-hubris-clobbered-by/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) > [Was man made stupid to see his own stupidity? Is God by definition indifferent, beyond us all? Is the eternal truth man's fighting soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-eberhart/was-man-made-stupid-to-see-his-own-stupidity-is-god-by-definition/) [Richard Eberhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-eberhart/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-accumulation-of-all-powers-legislative-executive-and-judiciary-in/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“I'm going to use them to track him down and thwart him." "Thwart?" Sarissa asked. "Thwart." I said. "To prevent someone from accomplishing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-m-going-to-use-them-to-track-him-down-and-thwart-him-thwart-sarissa/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [A design may be called organic when there is an harmonious organization of the parts within the whole, according to structure, material, and purpose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-noyes/a-design-may-be-called-organic-when-there-is-an-harmonious/) Eliot Noyes > [Of Rhetoric various definitions have been given by different writers; who, however, seem not so much to have disagreed in their conceptions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/of-rhetoric-various-definitions-have-been-given-by-different-writers/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) Browse all 2,047 Definitions quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man is by definition the first and primary weed. 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